To MITM through Phoenix -or- It Looked good on paper...

[Uncle Fred]

Hi all...

I live in the San Diego area and own a 2010 MINI (Some of you may have seen it, it was entered in the MINI of the Month contest on the Motoring Alliance blog a while back pictured as an Arizona vacation "postcard").

Anyway, My wife and I are planning to attend MITM/MTTUSA in Colorado and I recently had 3 windows open on my desktop with Google, Google Maps, and Delorme Street Atlas open trying to coordinate our route and lodging locations for the August trip.

As for getting there, I came up with two different routes that are only about 70 miles different in length, but one seems to be an infinitely more interesting drive!

The proscribed route (for SoCal) is up I-15 to I-70 in southern Utah and ride I-70 into Winter Park/Denver... BUT it appears to me, a much more interesting route is SD to Phoenix-Flagstaff-Tuba City-Keyenta-Moab and hook up with I-70 at Crescent Junction.

On this 2nd route I figure 3 stops because there is a LOT of sight seeing/picture taking opportunities on day 2 (I'd go right through Monument Valley and a few miles from Canyonlands National park).

Day 1: Leave SD Monday afternoon to Phoenix (our son lives in Goodyear). - 340 miles
Day 2: Phoenix to Monticello Utah (with everything in between). - 395 miles
Day 3: Monticello to Winter Park/Denver. - 415 miles

As the message title sez, this 2nd route "looked good on paper..." What I'd like to know from you guys (who have probably driven a lot of these roads)... is the road through Monument Valley... in the middle of August... in the middle of the day... an "interesting drive" for our MINI or insanity. B-)

Of course, I'm waiting to see (a) what MINI-USA comes up with for their route/schedule from L.A. and (b) what (if any) route your DMC group is going to take, but I thought I'd get some input for pre-planning purposes beforehand.

Thanks in advance.

"Uncle Fred"
unclefredsmusic@cox.net

[danjmcs]

Thanks for the post Fred and things are definitely in the works on some routes for MITM and MTTS. We're still waiting for some official confirmation as well from MiniUSA.

That second route you mention is the route that most of us have taken home from MITM in prior years and as you suggested, your opinion on what is scenic is hard to quantify going that way, but the red rocks and desert in that area definitely have their own beauty.

Not taking the possible MTTS route into account and bypassing Utah, the more scenic route from Phoenix is really going up through Four Corners, like this route:
Map Link
That is the route (or very similar) that we have taken up for most of the prior years of MITM to Copper Mountain, now Winter Park this year.

What complicates the route this year, combined with MTTS, is we are hearing rumours that the joint meeting spot for the SoCal and NoCal groups will be in Salt Lake City, so that would require the 15 route from Phoenix, up through Las Vegas most likely, if your wanting to hook up with the MTTS caravan.

Definitely keep us posted if you hear anything and we'll do the same with posts on the forum here. Once things shake out you are more than welcome to join along with whatever groups we put together for the route.

[Uncle Fred]

Thanks for the info, and thanks for the invite Dan. I checked your map link and agree that IS a more interesting way to go than up through Utah.

I will definitely keep you posted on anything we hear (West Coast MINI member) as time goes on... and the next time we are over for a visit, we'll have to time it with one of your events!

Thanks again

Uncle Fred

BTW, one of the WCM members has floated the idea of renting a condo or two in Winter Park instead of staying at the Zepher. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll put you in touch.